Hanan Alsana: I don't hope - I create hope! And hope needs a joint work plan

The All Citizens Party's program "Talking Politics at Eye Level" hosted the lawyer

Hanan Alsanea.

Hanan Alsanea is a human rights lawyer, a feminist, and a socio-political activist in Arab society in general and in Bedouin society in particular. She is the co-director of the organization Itach Ma’aki – Women Lawyers for Social Justice.

She spoke about the struggle of Arab women in general and Bedouin women in particular, her personal struggle in her own society, and issues of peace and equality. Here is the full recording of the Zoom meeting, and some quotes from the recording:

• We live in darkness: Jews and Arabs. But within this darkness there are points of light to emerge from: when there is Jewish-Arab partnership and when women are part of the leadership, both Jewish and Arab.

• We have the right and ability to build a home for all of us in common: a home that has security, justice, pluralism, democracy, respect, solidarity, and mutual responsibility.

• Bedouin women suffer from both social and political oppression, and it is very difficult for them to enter the public and political space.

• What seems impossible today may be possible tomorrow.

• There is also another truth in all this suffering: that women are the ones who lead, they are the ones who organize humanitarian aid in wars, create open spaces for families, hold entire communities together when everything falls apart.

• Security is not just tanks and ceasefires, security is human dignity, health, food on the table, education for children, and protection from violence. And that's the security that women are fighting for. And that's the security that lasts.

• We need a joint work plan, both at the political and civic levels. At the political level, we need a coalition between the Jewish parties and the Arab parties on the left. It's also possible in the center.